Movie Recommendations

★★★★★

Alien: Came out just a few years after Star Wars but paints such a diametrically different picture of the future. What science fiction should be — it’s not about special effects. Giger is a visionary

Animatrix: I actually like this set of animated shorts more than the Matrix movie itself. One of my favorite shorts (the children playing in a neighborhood that suffers from the Matrix’s defects)

Donnie Darko: Well-deserved status of a cult classic

Primer: Watch it several times

The Godfather Part I and Part II: Let's end the silly debates about which is better. They are both fantastic. Godfather II gets brownie points for matching the incredibly high expectations set by the first movie.

Inception: Runs with one of these things we all ask ourselves as long as we remember (what happens if I have a dream inside of a dream?)

American Psycho : The perfect Christian Bale

Casablanca: I finally made myself watch it and loved it. It definitely exceeded my expectations

12 Angry Men: Timeless, gripping, suspenseful

Shawshank Redemption 

Ex Machina

 

★★★★

Paprika

Moon 

Get Out: Roughly follows a formula, but pleasantly breaks with many of its conventions (such as the obligatory "research the local papers" scene). The set and the atmosphere add to the ever-so-subtle creepiness. Suspense blending into thrill but without the superfluous shock value, and with a splash of lightness. Includes a twist but not in the way you think.

Intacto: So wonderfully dark. Max Von Sydow in a perfect role of a slightly (very?) creepy head of a very (slightly?) creepy organization

The Matrix 

Wall-E: I would have never guessed that an animated movie can start with 40 minutes of silent, beautiful love story

12 Monkeys 

American Beauty

The Usual Suspects

Rosemary's Baby 

Boondock Saints 

Thank You for Smoking 

There Will Be Blood 

Watchmen: Great visuals

V For Vendetta 

In Bruges

Open Your Eyes : A much better version than the U.S. remake

Blade Runner: The ambiance!

Machinist

Back to the Future series: Made me the geek I am today

 

 

★★★

Dark City: I rewatched it recently; the movie shows its age, but the premise is fantastic

Devil's Advocate

Thirteenth Floor: Has potential (which I guess is a synonym for "mildly disappointing")

Saw: Undamaged by the zillion terrible sequels

Memento: Entertaining

Extract: As the only "regular" comedy on the list, it's pretty good

Mr Brooks: Finally, Kevin Costner done with sci-fi movies

Run Lola Run: A little too much running, for my liking

Batman Begins: A good reboot

Kill Bill Vol I and II

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Office Space

Terminator II

Clue

 

★★

Children of Men : Great premise but execution falls short